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Okay. I am not embroiled in the controversy around HBO’s new show, Girls. I haven’t watched it, to be frank. I saw that it was yet ANOTHER show about rich, white women in NYC and just decided against it. Commentary about the show is all over the internet, and we’ve discussed it here, too.

This post is actually not about the show at all. Psych.

Instead, I’d like highlight some OTHER girls, and their fierce work in the world. It’s my own little counter to the HBO sanctioned worldview that whitewashes life and is anchored in economic privilege. Here are some of my favorite things that girls are up to in the world, please add yours in the comments.

1. FRIDA, the Young Feminist Fund. These women are really about the biz. They are raising money to fund projects around the world by and for girls. Their mission is to “provide accessible, strategic and responsive funding for young feminist-led initiatives. We aim to strengthen the capacity of young feminist organizations to leverage resources for their work.” I had the great pleasure of moderating a panel at the UN with Amina Doherty, FRIDA’s 27 year-old coordinator. She talked about their insipring participatory approach to grant-making, where grantees collective decide how to use and distribute funds. Now here are some young women and girls that should have their own show.

2. Project Girl, a “girl-led, arts-based initiative created to enable girls to become better informed critical consumers of mass media advertising and entertainment — in other words, to become more media literate.” These middle school girls are making art (paintings, collages, video, sculpture, photography, zines!) that represents them, and they way the live in and experience the world. Check out their art.

And 3. Close to (my) home, The Sadie Nash Leadership Project in NYC. These girls are redefining the meaning of leadership itself, by developing as leaders in social, political, and economic decision-making. They have a leadership institute that works with high school girls to cultivate their skills and help them change the world. They have tons more programs, find out.

Let’s just pretend that this isn’t a commercial for Always menstrual products and appreciate this heart-warming reminder that girls are confident and joyful before we teach them that being a girl is the absolute worst thing they can be.

The ad was created by documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield, and as Amanda says, “It’s a little sad that all of this enthusiasm for women’s stories are leading us directly to a box of maximum protection with wings, while female filmmakers and characters are still so underrepresented at the box office.” But I guess I’ll take it if it makes a few more people more conscious of the subtle but powerful effect their language has.

Let’s just pretend that this isn’t a commercial for Always menstrual products and appreciate this heart-warming reminder that girls are confident and joyful before we teach them that being a girl is the absolute worst thing they ...

If asked where I learned the most about feminism, empowerment, and consciousness, I’d give you two answers. The first would be my feminist momma who taught me that speaking up and asking questions were infinitely more important that playing princess. The second would be that wonderful summer where I helped to facilitate workshops for Boston-area middle schoolers, as I learned more about courage, honesty, and relationships than I did in perhaps any other classroom, either as a student or an instructor. Speaking out in middle school remains, I think, one of the most intimidating things one can ever do.

So you can imagine my great excitement when I sat down with Lilly and Juliet Bond — activists, community leaders, and a ...

If asked where I learned the most about feminism, empowerment, and consciousness, I’d give you two answers. The first would be my feminist momma who taught me that speaking up and asking questions were infinitely more important ...

Thank you Katniss Everdeen! The popularity of the Hunger Games series, a trilogy book-turned-movie series, has more girls “aiming” for archery as their sport (I had no idea archery was a sport) of choice. According to NPR, some sellers of sporting equipment have noticed an increase in bow and arrow sales since the first movie was released in 2012. And over the past 2 years, membership in USA Archery has doubled. One girl’s experience with the sport is described here.

“Following in the footsteps of Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen, who’s fiercely talented with a bow and arrow, is one reason Y’Jazzmin came through the door here this fall.

Thank you Katniss Everdeen! The popularity of the Hunger Games series, a trilogy book-turned-movie series, has more girls “aiming” for archery as their sport (I had no idea archery was a sport) of choice. According to